I Built This Home For Me, For You

Chapter 7

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I'm posting it really late because I've had a crazy day, it was busy and then I had a relaxing evening with the fam. I've been lazy for a couple of days so I had no chapters done and I've done this one just now so I could still post it today. It's almost 11PM where I'm at so I still made it today😁😋 

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Two weeks passed by, and things progressed as usual, except for the fact that Camila was still trying to cover up the fact that she was struggling. It wasn't anything obvious to anyone else – staring blankly at nothing for a few minutes, jumping at loud noises, and restlessly tossing and turning in her sleep – but Lauren had gone through this with her before, and through the relapses into these behaviors half a dozen times over the past twenty years, and Camila couldn't fool her. The puppy helped a little, and she smiled whenever Camila took her jogging, or let her curl up on her lap while she scratched her behind the ears. At least she had some form of support that didn't ask any questions or want anything from her except belly rubs and for a ball to be tossed across the garden. It wasn't enough though, and on Friday morning, Lauren shot upright at the loud shout, her heart pounding in her chest at the sudden disturbance of the silence.

"Camila," She quietly said, immediately turning to her wife, who was already sitting up, her back to Lauren as she sat on the edge of the bed. Lauren slowly reached out, carefully touching Camila on her shoulder, feeling the tense muscles beneath the shirt she wore. Camila's breathing was ragged in the silence, and Lauren heard the shuddering breath she took as she tried to calm herself down.

"I'm fine," Camila told her.

Lauren bit back the retort on the tip of her tongue, slowly crawling across the bed so that she could be closer to Camila. "Can I hug you?" At the nod, Lauren gently wrapped her arms around Camila, placing her chin on her shoulder and rocking them slightly as she felt the rise and fall of Camila's chest slow beneath her touch. They were silent for a few minutes, and then Camila sighed. "Come back to bed, love," Lauren quietly murmured, but Camila reached up to undo Lauren's grip and climbed to her feet.

"I think I might go and take Artemis for a jog," Camila quietly said.

"Camila, it's still dark out," Lauren murmured, frowning slightly as she squinted up at the pale face looking back at her in the dark room. Quietly laughing, Camila leaned down, brushing Lauren's hair out of her face and placing a soft kiss to her lips. Lauren smiled slightly against her warm lips, pushing back against them as much as she could. Camila pulled back after a moment, gently pressing the tip of Lauren's nose, while Lauren pulled her closer. "You don't have to go jogging. It's freezing outside, and it would be so much warmer in bed, maybe even too warm. You might have to take your shirt off."

Letting out a quiet snort of laughter, Camila leaned down and pressed a lip to the corner of Lauren's mouth, "Not today."

Lauren smiled slightly, reaching for Camila's hands and giving them a quick squeeze as she felt a dull ache in her chest, "Be safe. I love you."

"I love you too," Camila murmured before she pulled back and quietly padded over to the closet, turning the light on and rummaging around for some sweatpants and shoes. Lauren stayed wrapped up in the warmth of the covers as she watched Camila's silhouette dress and head for the door. Listening to the quiet echoes of Camila's footsteps on the stairs, Lauren sighed, rubbing her tired eyes and hearing the faint sound of the door being shut. Climbing out of bed, she peeked outside, taking in the sight of the tiny puppy excitedly pulling at the leash as Camila jogged on the spot for a moment, lit by the automatic light near the door. A moment later, she slipped back into darkness as she quickly walked down the steps, and Lauren let the curtains fall back into place, before padding over to the bathroom for a shower.